Breakfast Surprise
by Wilde-Guess
Summary: Why Hermione Granger-Weasley finally learned how to cook.


Ten year old Rose Weasley and eight year old Hugo Weasley walked into the kitchen as their Dad was finishing up making breakfast.

"Good morning, kids! Sleep well?" their dad, Senior Auror Ron Weasley asked.

Rose answered, "Good enough, and good morning, Dad. Is Mum off early?"

Ron answered, "No, why?"

Hugo chimed in, "'Morning, Dad, and we _never_ have a Japanese breakfast unless Mum's already gone."

Ron replied, "We're surprising her. Help your sister set the table."

The three Weasleys heard a "crack" by the back door, followed by a knock.

Ron drew his wand and opened the door. He said, "Come in, Albus. I knew I'd put an extra salmon fillet in the broiler for a reason."

"Thanks, Uncle Ron. Your natto is always better than Dad's somehow," Albus Potter replied. Despite his method of arrival, he was roughly the same age as his cousin Rose. He was also barefoot and still in his pyjamas. He was a slightly better fed identical twin to his Dad at the same age.

As Albus helped set the now five places at the table, Rose asked, "Why can't _I_ learn to Apparate, Dad?"

"Because your Mum follows the rules, and you'd likely Splinch yourself," Ron replied.

He then cast, " _Adfero Harry Potter_ Harry, Albus is here, plenty of food, no worries. _Adfero."_

As the Yorkshire Terrier Patronus streaked off to deliver its message, Ron plated the last of the five tamagoyaki as the timer on the broiler chimed. He removed the salmon from the oven and continued to work as the kids finished setting the table.

Rose and Albus joined Ron in plating the food and carrying it to the table. They had a rather nice spread, provided you were Japanese or enjoyed that style of cuisine. In addition to the tamagoyaki and grilled salmon they had salads, miso soup, rice, tsukemono, nori, and natto.

Soon enough, the lady of the house could be heard coming down the stairs to enter the kitchen. Hermione Granger-Weasley was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Ron's nominal boss. She was engrossed in a mirror-call with her Chief Auror, Harry Potter.

"… and next, we'll need to set a meeting with the Office Heads for 10:00 this morning."

Turning her greeting, if not her attention to the room, she said, "Good morning, Ron, kids, and nephew."

She nodded in answer to the "good morning" everyone answered he with as she continued talking to Harry while she sat down,

"Albus made it here just fine. Why do Ginny and you keep letting him Apparate without a license?" she asked.

Harry replied over the mirror, "Until he Splinches or gets caught by someone who will actually try to enforce the rules, it's not my problem. Easier to deal with than him actually fighting back with James, anyhow. Besides, I was Apparating at that age, even if it was accidental magic and only the one time."

Her place, unlike the others, was set with flatware instead of a duck spoon and chopsticks. She absentmindedly took a spoonful of what would in other cuisines have been the porridge. She managed about half a chew before spitting it into her serviette.

She continued into the mirror, "Change of plans, Harry. What do Ginny and you have on for breakfast?"

He answered, "The kids insisted on Japanese this morning. Don't know why, really. Ron's natto is always better than mine."

She said, "We'll meet at the Leaky Cauldron this morning. I'm heading over there now, I'll see you when you get yours situated. After we have breakfast, you're teaching me how to do a fry-up at your place. This is the _last_ time Ron makes breakfast."

Harry replied, "Since I'm 'fixing' Ron's report on the werewolf raid yesterday afternoon, he's got the day off and both mine and his. Ginny had to go into the _Prophet_ this morning. Skeeter's at it _again,_ and Ginny's on the warpath."

Hermione replied, "Right, see you in just a tick."

She put the mirror in her handbag, and kissed each occupant in the room as appropriate. She said, "I know you have _something_ going on here, Ron, but I'm not awake enough to bother with it yet. What's so bad about yesterday's raid?"

As he kissed his wife good morning, he whispered in her ear, "Transfiguration. I told him to surrender or he'd regret it. He fired on Harry and me. I found his lack of faith _disturbing._ "

Hermione winced upon hearing that. She replied, "Even with that, on top of ambushing me in my own kitchen, I love you anyway. I'll send an _Adfero_ when I figure out when I'll be home."

"Love you too, Hermione," he as they released each other. With a spin and a faint _crack,_ she was gone.

A silver stag arrived and said, "Four at the Floo, Ron."

Ron shot a spell into the living room, unlocking the Floo-fireplace. Four people disgorged themselves from the green flames. Harry Potter was followed by his eight-year-old daughter Lily, who was fully dressed for the day. She was followed by her pyjama clad twelve-year-old brother James, who was still sniffling and rather sensitive around the bottom. Closing out the group was seventeen-year-old Ted Lupin, Harry's godson, who was fully dressed, having come from his grandmother's house to help baby-sit.

"All right, Ron," Harry greeted his host. "You know that she'll have both our guts for garters if she figures out we coordinated breakfast menus, right?"

Ron answered, "All right, Harry, and I doubt it. She's yet to prepare a meal in the fourteen years we've been married that didn't include using a telephone. I'm tired of takeaway and doing the cooking for _every_ meal. Maybe next time, she won't be so free with clothes when I manage to get a house-elf. Besides, she'll _learn_ how to cook if _you_ teach her. I love her with all my heart, but that woman _refuses_ to learn anything from me. By the way, how's Fenster working out?"

Harry answered, "The two of you are made for each other, but yeah. And he's working out fine. Kreacher wanted to spend more time keeping up Number 12, and Fenster gives him the time to do it."

Turning his direction to the still sniffling son, he said, " _If_ your Uncle Ron has a place for you, I won't stop him from feeding you breakfast, provided you don't pick a fight with Al."

James nodded, and passed Ron as he walked into the kitchen. He said, "Thanks, Uncle Ron. And your natto is better than Dad's, even if his is still good."

Harry added, "And Al, if _you_ start the fight again, I've got _plenty_ of what I gave your brother left over, and you're smaller and more easily turned over my knee."

"Yes, sir," was the answer from the kitchen.

Ron added, "Your Aunt Hermione took only one bite of her natto, and spat it into her serviette. The rest is still good and untouched."

Ted asked, "Harry am I staying here with Uncle Ron, or helping keep Hermione from torching your place while you try to teach her to do a fry-up?"

Harry answered, "You'll stay here, since James and Al are acting up. Besides, Hermione isn't _that_ bad."

Ron retorted, "She burns _water,_ Harry – I've _seen_ her do it."

Harry replied, "Don't worry, Ron, I've got it sorted. Easier than that damn report, anyhow, which I've already signed off on and filed. You're welcome.

"Ted has the boys' clothes and trainers. If they're behaving themselves by ten, they can get dressed and go out to the back garden. If not, banish their pyjamas and send them out anyway. They both need new pyjamas and they already embarrass me more with their constant sniping than if they actually _did_ run about in their pants in the back garden. In the mean time, they can help you with the dusting, since they insisted on starting _my_ morning with a dust-up.

"But how _do_ you get your natto to turn out better than mine, anyway?"

"Simple, Harry," Ron answered. "I hit each batch with a Patronus. One of the few advantages of having a small Patronus is that you can put it in food without overwhelming it. If _you_ tried a Patronus on natto, you'd have to make a big enough batch to eat it every day for a year."

"You ever think of opening a restaurant, Ron?" Harry asked.

"No. If I had the patience to be a merchant, I'd have stayed on with George at the joke shop.

"And you'd probably best be getting on to the Leaky before Hermione gets mad."

"Right, Ron. Cheers!" Harry replied. He spun, and with an almost inaudible _crack_ was gone.


End file.
